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How technology can impact labor and other issues in the meat industry

Emerging technologies from robotics to blockchain can help the meat industry with issues including labor shortages and consumer demand for supply chain transparency, according to a panel of experts in an upcoming March 28webinarpresented byMeatingplaceand sponsored by JLS Automation and Soft Robotics.

“Labor is the most critical issue facing meat and poultry processors today. This panel will address how emerging technologies can impact this issue in their plants,” saidMeatingplacePublisher Bill Kinross.

Webinar panelist Bill Rupp, the former president of JBS Beef and Cargill Meat Solutions, sees abundant opportunities to use the data that is already generated in the producer/feeder/packer supply chain. “Combining data with the historical knowledge of the retailer, and mixing in consumer insights can create consumer successes with meat that haven’t been dreamed about,” he noted.

Technology also brings promise to relieve workers from repetitive tasks, which may mean different hiring and training strategies for meat plant executives.

"New technology requires cultivating a workforce that can learn, adapt, and troubleshoot quickly and effectively. Approaches to talent acquisition and development must keep pace in a competitive environment to meet these demands,” according to agribusiness recruiter and webinar panelist Tim Hammerich.

It is time for the meat industry to understand more about blockchain and the problems it can solve.

“It’s no longer about product movement through the value chain; the movement of information through the value chain is now a key driver of value,” said webinar presenter Janette Barnard, who is sales and marketing director for DecisionNext, and author of "The Top Line" blog onMeatingplace. “One emerging mechanism to securely and accurately distribute information is through blockchain, a technology that holds potential to solve multiple problems in meat and poultry from transparency to price discovery.”

Barnard recently presented at USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum, where she noted the line between operational innovation and market-facing innovation are blurring as the supply chain is morphing.

Attendees of this webinar will:

Understand the forces driving technology into the meat business

Become familiar with the 5 most prominent emerging technologies

Understand the 3 reasons to embrace technology

Acquire 3 resources to continue learning about emerging technology

Registerherefor the webinar, which will take place Wednesday, March 28 at 1:00 Central Time.